A naked man was arrested after allegedly attempting to abduct a 7-year-old girl on Saturday at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park, but was stopped by a bystander.
At approximately 7 p.m., Portland police received reports of the suspect running naked through the park for roughly 10 minutes before he tried to pull the girl away from her mother, while another caller said the man tried to punch others in the head, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) announced.
Girl’s father, bystanders fought to pull her free
The suspect grabbed the girl and started pulling her away while the mother held onto the victim’s other arm. During the fight, the girl was lifted off the ground, according to police.
The girl’s father, mother, and other bystanders punched and slapped the man as they attempted to free the child. Another bystander deployed pepper spray, and the suspect fled to the Willamette River to tend to the injury.
PPB noted that all other officers were busy with another call — a disturbance involving a gun — delaying their response.
Once officers arrived, they located the suspect, still naked, swimming in the river near the scene.
Officers arrested the 31-year-old suspect and booked him on charges of first- and second-degree attempted kidnapping, first-degree custodial interference, third-degree assault, and harassment.
The girl was evaluated by paramedics and treated for scratches. Other than the scratches, officers said she was unharmed.
This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
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